IT IS more than 30 years since Metheny recorded with a band featuring a saxophone and Chris Potter is well up to the standard of previous stars, the late, greats Dewey Redman and Michael Becker.

Metheny’s long-time collaborator, Antonio Sanchez, is an outstandingly creative drummer who is beautifully recorded throughout.

New Year is a folksy, acoustic guitar opener, which is cranked up in tempo when the saxophone and drums join in. Roof dogs revisits the classic Metheny guitar synthesiser familiar from such albums as Off ramp and Travels. Potter on soprano and the varied and pulsating rhythms from Sanchez drive the guitarist to ecstatic heights.

On Come And See, Potter moves to bass clarinet, the guitar chimes with harp-like flourishes and the sinuous rock rhythm is coloured by an astonishing range of cymbal sounds from Sanchez.

This Belongs To You is a ballad, with melody stated by unison guitar and tenor. Orchestra Sketch is a free-form-is noodle, moving into a repetitive, Steve Reich-like figure and developing into a guitar/saxophone duet.

Break dealer is a bracing, up-tempo closer to a return-to-form album by Metheny.